1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer maintenance support system and an analysis server, and more particularly to a computer maintenance support system and analysis server for supporting computer maintenance operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
An administrator of a computer system such as a server computer or the like, when performing system maintenance tasks such as checking settings of the system, scanning at times of malfunction and the like, often uses system structure information, log files and the like which have been saved in the computer system.
System structure information is information on settings which constitute an operating system (OS) which administers the computer system. The system structure information includes, for example, a computer name which is required for installation of the OS, network setting values such as an IP (Internet Protocol) address, a subnet mask, a default gateway and the like, kernel definition information (configuration) values, and so forth. These setting values are initialized at a time of OS installation, are automatically updated at times of addition of hardware, applications and the like, and are manually updated by system administrator operations.
Log files are files in which system operation conditions are recorded, which are outputted by the OS, the applications and the like. Log files recorded by the OS may be, for example, an event log which records situations in which program launches, hardware problems and the like occur, a performance log which records usage conditions of a CPU, memory and the like, and so forth.
By referring to this system state information, log files and the like, a system administrator can check settings of the computer system and can check whether or not the system is running correctly. Further, by analyzing such information when a malfunction occurs, a cause of the malfunction can be ascertained and settings changed, and thus the system can be returned to a proper state.
Heretofore, methods for automatically collecting system structure information, log files and the like as described above and employing the same for system maintenance tasks have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2005-266919 has described a system analysis device which automatically collects system structure information, log files and the like, and analyzes this information on the basis of pre-specified determination criteria.
However, with previous methods, there have been problems in that, even with settings information, log information and the like being automatically collected, it takes time for an operator responsible for maintenance and analysis to perform the analysis, and in that failures to notice check items, mistakes in checking, failures to notice problems and the like tend to occur, and so forth. Furthermore, because skill is required for analyzing the contents of a log, there has been a problem in that determination criteria in analyses may differ with different operators, and quality of the analyses is inconsistent. Moreover, even when automatic analysis of the collected data is performed, setting and updating of analysis conditions is troublesome, and automatic analysis alone may be insufficient, with more detailed analysis having to be performed by an operator responsible for further analysis.